WHO announces delivery of 1.2M polio vaccine doses to Gaza following temporary ceasefire

The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced the delivery of 1.2 million doses of polio vaccine to Gaza, with an additional 400,000 doses expected soon, as part of an emergency effort following the first polio case in the region in 25 years.

The vaccination campaign, set to begin this weekend, will include three-day ceasefires in certain areas to facilitate the immunization of over 640,000 children.

However, UN officials have stressed that Hamas and the Israeli military must respect the humanitarian pauses, following two incidents this week, including one fatal attack, where Israeli forces fired on aid vehicles. These incidents have raised concerns about the safety of the vaccination process.

The campaign was organized after the WHO reported earlier this month that a baby in Gaza had been paralyzed by the type 2 polio virus, prompting a call for urgent vaccination. The effort will involve more than 2,000 health and community workers across several hundred locations.